


Let the game begin

by Ellstra



Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Character Study, Gen, Not really a story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-03
Updated: 2017-01-03
Packaged: 2018-09-14 13:54:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9184633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellstra/pseuds/Ellstra
Summary: What if the events of Rogue One were a game of chess?





	

**Author's Note:**

> I had an urging need to write this, so I did. I wasn't sure whether I should publish it but then I decided that well, fuck it, why not, I put effort into this so here it is.

The Death Star plans are the King - defenceless, powerless but the most important piece nonetheless. The other pieces give their lives to protect it, and shield it with their own bodies. It’s the hope they need, as long as they’re in the picture, the game is not lost.

Jyn is the Queen - the most active piece, the one that drives the game forward, the one whose loss is felt the most but whose existence inspires hope. She’s the most flexible one, the open-minded one. She’s the biggest threat to the opponent and the pursuit of her might blind the enemy enough for her sacrifice to mean the victory of her side - and the triumph of her King. 

Cassian and K2 are the Bishops - they’re often the first ones in the game right after the pawns, they make way for the Queen and help her achieve her goal. They can be very important - even vital - to the game, but they’re rarely seen as such. They’re treasured helpers and they aid the Queen in reaching her game, but ultimately, they’re the support of the Queen’s offense.

Chirrut and Baze are the Knights - they’re unpredictable and defy the rules the other pieces have to play by. They are not the most important pieces but therein lies their strength and danger. They are meant for combat and to clean up the board before the Queen can step forward and begin her crusade. They are strong together, and the loss of one profoundly debilitates the other.

Bodhi and the Rogue One ship are the Rooks (pun intended) - they come into the picture later than the other pieces. They’re often left behind as the last line of defence of the King when the other pieces are gone or fighting. They’re the stability, they’re the last resort, and hope after the Queen is lost. They’re powerful but overshadowed by the might of the Queen and the mobility of the Bishops and Knights or the dispensability of the Pawns but ultimately, when there’s nothing left, they’re what steps in and deal the deciding blow.

Galen is the Pawn - he’s the one to begin the game by breaching the enemy territory. He’s expendable, and will be sacrificed for the good of the game, sometimes nearly forgotten. Yet he has the ability to be deadly to the enemy, to maim the opposing King when the attention is elsewhere. Mon Mothma, Bail Organa, Leia, the Alliance fleet are pawns as well, important but away from the real fight, a support system to the main pieces.

 

The Death Star is the King - it’s the main focus of the Empire, the only thing the pieces with their own agenda have in common. It’s brought them together but their fight over who is the most important to its defense is what will ultimately bring forward their fall.

Vader is the Queen - he’s powerful but vain. He relies way too much on his own power to cooperate with the others, and he never loses the opportunity to show it. He will often forget that others can be just as useful as him, and sometimes more, which leads to them being lost in vain. 

Palpatine is the Rook - he stays behind in the shadows, watching the game, watching the Queen rampage. He doesn’t particularly care about the King, only about the profit he can have from it. He doesn’t join the fight, and the game is lost because he stays passive for too long and in the end he can’t join the fight. 

Tarkin is the Knight - he’s in the game nearly from the beginning but he’s uncontrollable. He will sacrifice his comrades to earn glory and he will try to one-up the Queen in situations where the pawns guard the opponent’s King too well. He waits for the Pawns to do their work for him but as soon as the path is clear, he’ll put everything he has into the fight.

Krennic is the Pawn - he opens the game, and clashes with the opposing pawn. The pair of them is taken down in quick succession, their lives intertwined and bound together. He’s agile and determined to prove his worth. He’s important to the beginning of the game, and stands in the focal point of everything, guarding the center of the chessboard for as long as it is vital to the game. But as the match proceeds to the next stage, the more powerful pieces push him aside and get rid of him in order to make space for themselves. 

And Saw Gerrera is the Empire’s Knight that got caught in a place where he serves no one but himself. He takes forces away from the Resistance, and blocks the progress of the Empire. He stands in the way, misguided and fighting for his own cause.

 


End file.
